The Endocrine Training Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, directed by Dr. Barbara Kahn, trains MD, MD/PhD and PhD postdoctoral candidates in research areas of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. The goal of the program is to foster the development of trainees into independent investigators who will excel in scientific investigation and be successful in obtaining faculty positions in major university medical schools. The research faculty for the endocrine program is an experienced group of investigators involved in the comprehensive study of obesity, diabetes, "the metabolic syndrome", thyroid physiology, thyroid hormone action, nuclear receptor action, neuroendocrinology and signal transduction. The faculty is comprised of basic scientists and clinical scientists who work together to train fellows to investigate research questions at both the basic science and physiological levels. The collaborative nature of the faculty is evidenced by their having two Program Project Grants and their directing multiple research core facilities as part of Boston area NIH-funded Obesity Centers and Diabetes Endocrinology Research Centers. Trainees are provided an opportunity to learn from the integrated and collective expertise of the faculty in the hormone action, regulated gene expression, adipocyte biology, animal physiology, sophisticated transgenic and gene targeting approaches to endocrine and metabolic disorders, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, research in human subjects, and strategies for novel treatment modalities. Trainees have an outstanding record of obtaining independent funding and a number of former trainees have been promoted to faculty positions. These funded investigators now participate in research training of fellows in this and other Programs in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. Since the last competitive renewal of this grant, the Division has added new, talented faculty and expanded its research space and core facilities. The program is strongly supported by core facilities at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Genomics, Proteomics, Mass Spectrometry, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, and Transgenic Mouse Generation. The program has further formalized its curriculum in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. The success of the trainees reflects the outstanding quality of this Endocrine Training Program